Thursday, 25 February 2010

British folk icon Richard Thompson has been appointed creative director of the 2010 Meltdown festival.Thompson has involved himself in a wide range of solo and collaborative projects. Having played on classic LPs by the likes of Nick Drake and John Martyn, Thompson became best-known for his duo recordings with his wife Linda, and he reached his commercial peak in the 80s and 90s through albums like Mock Tudor and Amnesia. His most recent work is the Cabaret of Souls song-cycle, performed with chamber orchestra, and he also created the soundtrack for Werner Herzog’s 2005 documentary Grizzly Man.

"SOUTHBANK CENTRE announces that RICHARD THOMPSON will be the ARTISTIC DIRECTOR of the 17th MELTDOWN festival in 2010, taking place in the concert halls and spaces of London's most celebrated riverside arts centre, including Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall.

After a run of rock and pop artists including David Bowie (2002), Morrissey (2004), Patti Smith (2005), Jarvis Cocker (2007) and Massive Attack (2008), avant-garde legend Ornette Coleman took charge of Southbank Centre's iconic festival last year-hailed by Metro as "fantastically multi-layered" and "one of the best Meltdowns in years" (Guardian). Now, in 2010 Meltdown's curatorial baton passes to an extraordinary artist who first emerged in 1967 as a founder member of British folk-rock innovators Fairport Convention, who has since spent over forty years defying musical categorisation and convention. Thompson began a solo career in 1972, beginning with the bold Henry the Human Fly, and has gone on to produce a body of work that challenges, delights and amazes in equal measure. He has now written and recorded over 400 songs marked by consistent intelligence, taste and emotional resonance and has succeeded in becoming one of the most distinctive and iconoclastic guitar virtuosos, whether playing acoustic or electric guitar, performing solo or in a group."

With the full line-up for the annual festival still to be announced, the possibilities as to what Richard Thompson might select or choose to perform himself are highly intriguing. This year's director grew up in North London, listening to Django Reinhardt, Fats Waller, Les Paul, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong from his father's jazz record collection but simultaneously embraced the rock and roll music of Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis. Such is the eclectic diversity of his career that one of his most recent projects has been a song cycle featuring the double bass in honour of long time colleague and friend, Danny Thompson, Cabaret of Souls, a musical chronicle of a talent contest set in Hell, performed in 2009 with a Chamber Orchestra. Thompson also created the music to Werner Herzog's 2005 documentary Grizzly Man, plus its recent prequel The Grizzly Man Diaries. Nothing exemplifies Thompson's versatility more than his occasional journeys through a 1000 Years of Popular Music, successfully toured here in 2009: The Guardian commenting: "He manages to convey the electrifying energy of rock'n'roll, the cheek of music hall and the sass of swing, all with the same aching precision."

"Despite dividing is time between London and Los Angeles for the last twenty years, Richard Thompson has never lost his 'Englishness' or his belief that we need emphasise our regional and cultural roots wherever we reside and should celebrate the differences and sheer scope of all music.Â We can expect nothing less at MELTDOWN 2010."

RICHARD THOMPSON, the 16th Director of Southbank Centre's Meltdown, said:"I am very excited to be hosting this year's Meltdown Festival at the South Bank. The wide-ranging programme reflects many of my interests and influences across many musical, visual and literary styles, and should provide some unique moments, unusual collaborations and juxtapositions. All this in the place where I saw my first concert in 1961-such an honour!"

JUDE KELLY, Artistic Director, Southbank Centre, said:"From the precociously talented 17 year-old with folk-rock pioneers Fairport Convention, through his inspired partnership with Linda Thompson to classic solo albums and brilliantly crafted songs covered by the likes of Elvis Costello, David Byrne and REM, few artists can claim to have maintained such musical virtuosity and songwriting excellence for so long. We are delighted and honoured that he has accepted our invitation to curate Southbank Centre's meltdown festival."

JANE BEESE, Senior Music Programmer, Southbank Centre, said:"Whether penning such classics as Walking On A Wire, Dimming Of The Day or Meet On The Ledge, adding sublimeÂ guitar to Nick Drake's Bryter Layter, no-one associated with the folk tradition is also so highly regarded by fans and critics alike as a genuine 'guitar hero', able to juxtapose his fiery electric side with that more pensive acoustic mood. Richard Thompson's sheer versatility as a performer and renowned integrity make us wonder why he hasn't directed Meltdown before now."

Hip-hop's Jedi master takes the art of party-starting cut-and-paste turntablism to a whole 'nother level with this exclusive Besti-mix, the sixth in our ongoing weekly series showcasing the great and the good from Besti-family and friends.

As you'd expect from a man like DJ Yoda, this 33-track(!) mix is anything but one-dimensional, taking in dope re-workings of disco, funk and pop classics by the likes of Prince and Stevie Wonder alongside bass-humping UK beats by Zinc and Sticky, 21st century dancehall courtesy of Diplo's Major Lazer project and, of course, more than a few cheeky DJ Yoda edits, remixes and exclusives. So, what are you waiting for? This block-rocking, smile-inducing hoedown is the just the remedy to wash away your rain-sodden winter blues...

Tuesday, 23 February 2010

Brand new show, brand new music and classics... that's what it's all about on Show#421. Great stuff from Heavenly Sweetness label with Blundetto and Robert Aaron. A Dimlite tribute to Dilla with "Diana In The Autumn Wind" ---> Gap Mangione that is ;-). New Freeway with killer producer Jake One, Mulatu is back on his way to Nice, Tawiah wow, Flako with "I Want You" featured on the new Brownswood Bubblers #5, cop that! New Creative Swing Alliance from Strasbourg... Andreya Triana, Rahel and my summer tune by Aloe Blacc "$$$$". Mark Pritchard on Deep Medi Musik. The incredible Skream remix for Donae'o "riiiiiiing the alarm". An excellent remix by Warrior One for Bonobo and couple more sick tunes by F, Zinc by Skream and Breakage ft. Burial...whut? Burial? Yeah Burial. SICK! ...

Soul, Funk, Jazz and Reggae loom large in the nation’s psyche and Vintage at Goodwood have chosen a broad spectrum of classic artists and deejays to wet your tastebuds.Soul Casino curator Eddie Piller is hosting two separate venues at this year’s Vintage Festival;

The SOUL STAGE , is a classic festival performance area where bands and DJs will deliver crisp and interesting sets loosely presented along genre lines.

Friday is REGGAE DAY – whether you dig ska, two tone, roots and culture or dub, we have something for you. Jamaican superstars Toots and The Maytall’s headline with a strong support bill that includes luminaries such as Pama International and The Trojan Sound System. UK chart regulars The Beat are special guests and the day features some exclusive ‘King Tubby dub-plate’ performances from old school Kingstonites You Brown and Jah Thomas. There will be vintage ska from original mod dj Dr Bob Jones, roots from The Tighten Up Crew and curator Eddie Piller will reprise his heavy dub set from Carnival and Glastonbury in the 90’s. Throw in some poetry from Tim Wells and the day is set for a Caribbean feast.

Saturday is down as FUNK DAY and who else could we bring you but Gil Scott Heron. The man has been off the radar for a while but a critically acclaimed new album due for the spring will see him back up where he deserves. His special guest is Salsoul legend Joe Bataan, who started his career with Boogaloo but worked his way through soul, jazz-funk and eventually disco – his latin heavy version of Heron’s The Bottle should provide an amazing conclusion. More than that though we present a live broadcast of the BBC 6 ‘Craig Charles Funk and Soul Show’, the festival debut from The Third Degree (who’s rework of Duffy’s Mercy was the radio hit of last year), the extraordinary Osaka Monorail, who’s unique Japanese take on funk is a spectacle on its own. On the decks we have the presenter of Kiss FM’s Funk Show, Ali B, television mod legend Martin Freeman, and turntable funk genius, Smoove.

Sunday could only be SOUL DAY, or SUNDAY SOUL as we choose to call it. Here we have turned to Curtis Mayfield protégé and legendary producer/performer Leroy Hutson for one of his extremely rare UK performances – he’ll be supported by super soul goddess Anne Sexton as well as on original Flamingo club set from Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames and the evergreen British soul legend Geno Washington and his Ram Jam Band. On the decks Soul Stage curator Eddie Piller has promised to play one of his legendary two-step soul sets, whilst former Weller and Galliano producer Chris Bangs will be playing 70s alongside two festival debutants, Henry Storch from Unique Records and Dan De, the man behind Europe’s largest soul weekender, Baltic Soul.

The SOUL CASINO NIGHTCLUB is like something you will never see at a festival, ever. A replica of a mid 1970’s Mecca Ballroom with a sprung wooden dancefloor, the SOUL CASINO evokes memories of ALL of the best soul clubs there ever were. Wigan Casino, Blackpool Mecca, The Scene Club, Lacy Lady or The WAG. It boasts possibly the best collection of soul DJ’s ever assembled at a festival. Jazz-Funk – no problem, we’ve got the godfather Chris Hill, innovator Colin Curtis, Ian Dewhirst and Greg Wilson. Deep Funk? We’ve got Keb Darge, Snowboy, David Holmes and Lloyd Attrill. Northern Soul? 6T’s legend Ady Croasdale, Val Palmer, The Hipshaker crew and Corrine from Swing Out Sister. 6Ts R and B?? There’s 100 Club resident Dave Edwards, Paul Hallam and Richard Searle. 7os Soul? Festival organizer Wayne Hemingway is joined by Johnny Valatone, Lloyd Attrill and Bangsy. In short, I bet you’ll never leave the tent!

The Goodwood Estate is blessed with hidden glades, hollows, copses and hillocks with views to the beaches and across the South Downs. We are currently surveying the lie of the land, seeking out the perfect spots to pitch a tent.

The estate is on chalk down land which drains a treat, so it would take storms of biblical proportions for the campsites to become seas of mud like so many other festival events.

‘Glamping’ & Posh Accommodation Once you have bought your weekend ticket with camping and you feel like you want to treat yourself to something a little more fabulous, simply purchase one of these amazing upgrades…..

The Troxy is a 1930’s art deco Grade II listed building with the capacity of over 2,600 and prides itself as one of the capitals premier corporate, conferencing, exhibition, banqueting and live concert venues.

Designed by George Coles for Hyams & Gale as a cinema in 1933, it was renowned for its large revolving stage, Wurlitzer Organ and opulent decor which included chandeliers and large sweeping staircases.

The Troxy was also used for live stage shows boasting performers such as Vera Lynn, Clark gable and the Andrew Sisters.

As a result of the wartime damage to the building, the Troxy closed its doors in1960 showing its last film The Siege of Sidney Street and re opened in 1963 as the London Opera Centre run by The Royal Opera House. The venue gained its Grade II listing in 1990 and was converted into a Bingo Hall run by Mecca Bingo until 2006.

After so many changes and alterations over the years this truly magical venue has been lovingly and extensively refurbished by its current owners and returned to its former glory adding just a hint of modern fusion. Located on the borders of the financial district, Troxy is 10 minutes away from Bank and Tower Hill and 20 minutes away from Docklands.

"Today’s FACT mix is from a name that you’re going to be hearing a lot more of in 2010: Space Dimension Controller.

The alter ego of 19-year-old Belfast-dweller Jack Hamill, Space Dimension Controller has only released one single to date, ‘The Love Quadrant’, but it was one of the most distinctive and compelling debuts of 2009, earning a place in FACT’s Top 100 Tracks of that year. Inhabiting a wistful, pop-psychedelic but low-end-savvy world somewhere between house, electro and techno-funk, with vocals coming courtesy of Jack’s girlfriend Kat, ‘The Love Quadrant’ marked the arrival of a serious and singular talent.

Since then we’ve had the pleasure of hearing several more SDC productions, and they’re all top-notch. Hamill puts real love and attention into chords and harmonic composition, and boy does it pay off: imagine Prince, James Stinson and Manuel Gottsching hitting the studio together and you’ll have some idea of how sumptuous and fantastical this music is.

Space Dimension Controller’s charms haven’t gone unnoticed; Kyle Hall (whose next 12″ is out on Hyperdub) loves his sound and the pair are collaborating on new material for the Detroit house prodigy’s Wild Oats label. SDC’s next release – the Journey To The Core of The Unknown Sphere EP - is coming out via Rotterdam’s mighty Clone Records, and features a remix of the title track by Hall.

Jack is a participant in the 2010 Red Bull Music Academy and will be playing alongside Roska, DOOM, Katy B and many more for the A Taste of Sonar event at The Roundhouse on Saturday 6 March. Then, the following day, Sunday 7 March, there’s a chance to catch him at FACT’s free Lock Tavern party, where he’ll be warming up for Rustie, MJ Cole and Joy Orbison. Arrive early to catch the man in action.

Space Dimension Controller’s FACT Mix is an adventure and a half, and the perfect introduction to his bold aesthetic, boasting no less than six of his own productions, not to mention the aforementioned Kyle Hall remix. With both youthful insouciance and a very mature sense of selection and sequencing, SDC drops tracks from Round One (Basic Channel), Mike Dehnert, Model 500, Jimmy Edgar and Drexciya-related Der Zyklus, putting his own unique stamp on them through a litany of craftily deployed loop, delay and dub effects. Dare we say it, it’s the most warm, original and insistently funky mix we’ve hosted so far this year. Download, listen, read the interview over the page and get wise to SDC before all the fools check in". (FACT MAGAZINE)

"Known best for last year’s ‘Rass Out’, one of FACT’s top 100 tracks of the year and a regular in the crates of Kode9, Jackmaster and more, Altered Natives – actually just one man, Danny Native – has been impressing us for a while with his deliriously drumscaped house tracks, often recorded with plenty of distortion and rough acoustics.

This March his profile is set to get bigger, having recorded an excellent remix of Ikonika’s ‘The Idiot’, set for release on Hyperdub next month. Time, we thought, to get Danny on the FACT mix, and the results are excellent.

As rough and tough as his own productions, Altered Natives’ FACT mix features six of his own jams alongside new material from DVA, Smooth Kriminal, MA1 and more. Watch out in particular for ‘In my House’ and the mental Dave Chapelle sampling ‘Fuck Your Couch’, which have been basically played on repeat since we got this mix in."(FACT MAGAZINE)

Social networking sites were, this weekend gone, flooded with talk of Shoreditch’s Plastic People club being closed down, and how to stop this happening.

A Facebook group started by DJ Benny Blanco, who runs the regular Nonsense party at the club, states the following:

THE POLICE ARE TRYING TO SHUT DOWN PLASTIC PEOPLE

There is a notice outside the door saying there are 2 reasons why the Police want to take the license away.

1/ PREVENTION OF PUBLIC NUISANCE2/ PREVENTION OF CRIME ANTI DISORDER

Plastic People have until the 11th March to appeal.”

A PDF on the Hackney Council’s website, which can be found HERE, refers to the club’s license being under review for the sake of “prevention of crime and disorder and public nuisance basis.”

Four Tet recently finished a long-term residency at the club, while Theo Parrish, Warm, CD-R and more currently enjoy regular slots.

Renown for it’s incredible soundsystem, pitch black dancefloor and iconic redlight...FWD>>, the seminal dubstep night that recently moved back to a Thursday slot at Plastic People (it had previously been on Sundays after a busy Friday night spell) will also be looking for a new home if Plastic People closes next month.

Among the DJs lending support to the club’s cause are Erol Alkan, Kode9 and Ewan Pearson. To join the Save Plastic People Facebook group, click here.

Like the scores of musical sounds and ideas it is meticulously crafted from, Ultimate Breaks and Beatles belongs to nobody yet everybody. Composed of crates upon crates of Beatles records, obscure covers of Beatles songs, the entire 25 volume Ultimate Breaks and Beats series and plenty more, it is a celebration of record collecting, DJing, hip hop music, and above all, the unparalleled resonance and influence of both the almighty Beatles and the almighty Ultimate Breaks and Beats series. In the tradition of its two titanic subjects, the mix defies genre; at once spanning, re-contextualizing, and transcending everything from classical to blues to jazz to rock to rap in just over and hour. Unlike your neighborhood hipster laptop DJ's latest trendy "mash ups", there was absolutely no software, sequencers, or techno used here--just a ton of vinyl, two turntables, a mixer, and an 8 track...

We here at LO DO Industries certainly hope that you enjoy it. If so, please copy and share with as many people as possible, for free of course. If not, keep it to yourself flavor hater. To Ultimate Breaks and Beatles, I raise a hoppy brew. Scott and Mike did a fine job once again. To paraphrase Pablo Picasso: good DJs copy, great DJs steal....

"The mash-up. It’s a fairly recent phenomenon, one that didn’t really hit full stride until the early months of this decade. The form — the product of a blending, or “mashing,” of two or more songs together to create a “new” song — forced split reactions among listeners and critics from the moment it arrived. Those who responded favorably pointed to its ability to suggest a new form out of the recombinations of existing forms as the ultimate expression of post-modernism. Which is a slightly inflated way of saying they thought it sounded really cool. On the other side of the fence, naysayers gathered, pointing out the obvious — “This is simply stealing other people’s art and putting a new nametag on it” — and offering various permutations of the age-old saw, “That’s not really music!” These folks had, and still have, a point. The mash-up grew out of sampling, which became a rather violent feeding frenzy in the 1980s, as every marginally talented clown with an eye toward a rap career began ripping hooks and signature riffs from classic rock, funk and soul hits, then mumbling some self-aggrandizing nonsense atop them by way of proving authorship. (Who can forget Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” and its sample of Queen’s “Under Pressure”?) Unquestionably, however, valid and exciting art has come from this movement. When Danger Mouse, an American producer, DJ and musician working in England, released “The Grey Album” — a mash-up that grabbed a cappella tracks from Jay-Z’s “The Black Album” and sat them atop instrumental tracks from the Beatles’ “The White Album” — well, it was most definitely on. Soon, Danger Mouse had formed Gnarls Barkley with Cee-Lo Green, and was working with artists like Gorillaz, the Black Keys and Beck. His influence, coupled with the already indelible fondness DJs and MCs had for sampling and mixing, spread like wildfire. Here in Buffalo, the mashup was already a part of hip-hop culture by 2000. DJs would mix vinyl records at clubs in service of their own cross-cultural vision, and the explosion of easily accessed digital files and the readily available technology to manipulate them only made new hybrids easier to create. Though any reasonably creative person with a laptop can now create a mash-up, throw it up on YouTube, and bask in the glow of a (possibly false) sense of pride, one Buffalo duo is attempting to return the concept of musical cut-and-paste to its more organic state. What if you applied the notion of the mashup to old-school, DJ-performed, vinyl record mixing? Scott Down and DJ Cutler — working as Lo Do Industries — thought the question was worth answering. The two have explored the notion in the recent past, employing obscure Buffalo-created 1960s and ’70s soul music in service of a new hip-hop pastiche known as “Blue Collar Funk.” But it’s with their latest project that Down and Cutler have set a new standard for the mashup. “Ultimate Breaks and Beatles” blends crate-loads of vinyl Beatles music with a handful of strange and mostly unknown Beatles covers. Beneath all of this, Down and Cutler assimilate elements from the hip-hop bible — the 25-volume “Ultimate Breaks and Beats,” which is a treasure- trove of raw rhythmic materials culled from R&B, soul and rock songs released from 1966 to 1984. Beats and Beatles. Brilliant! Why didn’t anyone think of this sooner? Well, actually, they did. Danger Mouse had “The Grey Album” in 2004, and little-known cut-up kings the Beachles came with its Beatles/ Beach Boys mash “Sgt. Petsounds Lonely Hearts Club Band” back in 2006. When Giles Martin and his father, Sir George, revisited the Beatles’ catalog to create the soundtrack to the Cirque de Soleil celebration “Love,” they employed a mash-up, cut-and-paste methodology of their own, cross-fading songs together, placing beats from one tune beneath the lyric and melody of another, sticking a guitar solo from a 1966 recording atop a vamp from 1969, and so forth. No one, however, has done quite what Down and Cutler managed to do here. “Ultimate Breaks and Beatles” celebrates the enduring magic of the original music. But more importantly, it rescues the mash-up from the very real threat facing it — the danger of it becoming too trendy, too easy to execute, too much a product of the computer technology and not of the imagination. “Breaks and Beatles” recontextualizes the art and the artifacts themselves, and if the Beatles’ music doesn’t actually need any assistance in retaining its relevance, Down and Cutler have managed to find new possibilities in that music. Kudos are due..>" (Jeff Miers: Sound Check)

"2nd 10 of the series comes from Take (Alpha Pup/Eat Concrete/Poobah) and matthewdavid (Dublab/Brainfeeder) who combine to give us 7 tracks in all again packaged in a B+ sleeve. Take, born and bred in LA, has recorded for Poobah, Eat Concrete, Plug Research and is about to drop his full length on Alpha Pup this year.. With his three tracks, TAKE continues to push the boundaries of left filed experimental Beat music into new directions. The influence of vintage electronic records, 1980’s soul, and hard crunchy beats is apparent as they all get crushed and melted down into fine gold. On the other side Dublab’s matthewdavid gives us his unique brand of beat based warped psychedelia with 4 tracks blending seamlessly into one!" (All City Records)

Saturday, 20 February 2010

"Madlib Medicine Show No. 3: Beat Konducta in Africa will be released March 23 as the third installment of the producer's one-release-a-month music series for 2010. Beat Konducta in Africa will be released on CD and double LP, with the first limited editions of the double LP packaged in individually screen printed sleeves and a bonus 45.

Beat Konducta in Africa is a 37-track instrumental hip-hop album produced & mixed with Madlib, featuring J. Rocc. This album bases itself on the obscure vinyl gems from the afro-beat, funk, psych-rock, garage-rock & soul movements of African countries as diverse as Zambia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Botswana and Ivory Coast.

Madlib's Beat Konducta instrumental series - created from Madlib's raw beat tapes - began in 2006 with Movie Scenes, an imaginary movie & TV soundtrack with the feel of Blaxpoitation soul, afro-psychedelia and moody progressive rock. Beat Konducta in India (Vol. 3-4) and A Tribute to J Dilla (Vol. 5-6) followed in 2007 and 2009. Pieces of these albums have been reworked by artists such as Talib Kweli and Mos Def, who used Beat Konducta in India on his 2009 album Ecstatic." (Stones Throw Website)

As Late Night Tales moves into a new decade, the long awaited chapter from The Cinematic Orchestra greets us with style. Following editions from behemoths of rock Arctic Monkeys and Snow Patrol, The Cinematic Orchestra’s selection sees a return to a more typical Late Night compiler. Their association with the series reaches back to the inclusion of ‘Channel 1 Suite’ from their debut album ‘Motion’ on Zero 7’s memorable 2002 compilation. With track selection and order seeing many revisions since the inception of the project, we arrive in 2010 with one of the most defined Late Night Tales yet to come in the 23 title strong series.

Not for nothing are they called The Cinematic Orchestra. Jason Swinscoe has been living and breathing soundtracks for many a year (the last one was his epic effort for Disney, ‘The Crimson Wing’). You suspect that he’d manage to turn a trip to Sainsbury’s into a Homeric odyssey fit for string sections and harp players, such is his aptitude for the gallant, the grand and the plain groovy.

The Cinematic Orchestra are now on their fourth original album (not including live recordings, remixes and, of course, contributions to soundtracks) and third country, having relocated to New York after spending spells in the UK and France and these days can be found in Fort Greene, a vibey Brooklyn neighbourhood with a grand musical heritage. You can hear some of these influences seep out, gently washing your way. Eddie Gale, whose obscure jazz classic ‘The Rain’ is featured here, was also a native of Fort Greene.

There are also some known quantities. The delectable Björk’s ‘Joga’ is present and correct while Swinscoe’s affection for the double bass, here provided by Danny Thompson, is clearly evident on Nick Drake’s ‘Three Hours’. The marvellous Shuggie Otis also makes an appearance with the musically stunning and grammatically interesting ‘Aht Uh Mi Hed’, while Sebastien Tellier’s ‘La Ritournelle’, already regarded as a modern classic, doffs its cap in the direction of Mr. Swinscoe. The compilation would not be complete without some soundtrack content - Burt Bacharach’s ‘South American Getaway’ from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, appears in a heavily re-edited form, while the strangely familiar ‘Electric Counterpoint’ by Steve Reich drops the temperature a tad.

This being Late Night Tales we could not depart without a venerated (and exclusive) cover version produced by the boys. The Cinematics’ offer up ‘Talking About Freedom’, originally sung by Fontella Bass with whom they have worked extensively. A little nod in deference to Fontella, there; a nice touch. Concluding the album, Will Self continues his spoken word short story ‘The Happy Detective’, now onto the third part.

Friday, 12 February 2010

"flows freely from the pores of producer/bandleader/composer Gabriel Roth – much like snot streams down the filtrum of a feverish child. Born in a log cabin in Twin Peaks, CA (absolutely true) some time in the ’70s, Roth survived traumatic brushes with record industry scumbags and near financial ruin before successfully launching his heralded soul/funk/afrobeat/gospel-centric record label, Daptone, with partner/sax maniac Neal Sugarman in the early ’00s. HQ-ed in scenic Bushwick, Brooklyn in a renovated two-story hovel in which Roth himself installed the plumbing with bleeding, blistered hands (at least partly true), Daptone’s “House of Soul” studios provide analog relief from the rest of the pop sphere’s relentless digital din. And it is under Roth’s leadership and guidance that the label’s dynamic roster of artists – e.g. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, the Budos Band, Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens, Menahan Street Band et al – has epic-ly flourished, going from cult-followed curiosities to global soul ambassadors in just a few short years. Indeed, Gabriel Roth is the aglet to Daptone’s groove-imbued fibres. The resulting lace is ace." (RBMA RADIO)

Fact Magazine have just posted a new mix in there FACT Mix series by Autechre.....

"For those who need reminding: Rob Brown and Sean Booth are among electronic music’s most important yet elusive characters, two b-boys from the north-west of England who have been stretching their formative loves – hip-hop, electro and early house music – into ever more abstract and otherworldly climes, beginning with the 1991 single ‘Cavity Job’.

The duo joined the Warp Records family in ‘92, contributing two show-stealing tracks to the label’s seminal “electronic listening music” compilation, Artificial Intelligence, before delivering their own shockingly original debut full-length, Incunabula. That album took familiar dance music tropes – breaks derived from electro, gloopy synth textures from Chicago acid – and modelled them into totally fresh configurations, adding a very British industrial burnish and post-rave melancholy to the mix. If the three albums that came next – the masterful Amber (1994), Tri Repetae (1995) and Chiastic Slide (1997) – found the group evolving at a steady pace, ’98’s LP5 and 2001’s Confield represented a quantum leap. Autechre’s music by this point had become more akin to sound-art, a (paradoxically) busy electronic minimalism that took the deconstruction of the breakbeat to vociferously scientific extremes.

It’s true that much of Autechre’s noughties work alienated those drawn to the broader techno-romanticism of their early records, with Draft 7.30 (2003) and Untilted (2005) scaring many off for good, but their most recent full-length – 2008’s Quaristice – was almost unanimously acclaimed, and deservedly so. Sure, it was still an intimidating work, but one of often great beauty and three-dimensional complexity, the kind of album you could listen to for years and never fully fathom. It was as if the future had almost – but not quite – caught up with Autechre. Next month, March 22 to be precise, Quaristice’s eagerly awaited follow-up, Oversteps, is due to be released through Warp, and early whispers are already proclaiming it to be among the very best of Autechre’s career.

Of course, there’s more to Autechre than their albums – a vast array of singles, EPs, remixes and collaborative projects that fill in the gaps in the narrative. In 2003 they curated the fourth edition of ATP, selecting the best line-up in the festival’s history: Anthony ‘Shake’ Shakir, Public Enemy, Jim O’Rourke, Coil, Bernard Parmegiani, LFO, The Fall, Sunn O))) were among the artists who performed. As a live entity themselves, Autechre are one of the most intense and transporting you will ever encounter; it’s face-to-face, in the flesh, that their sound really comes alive.

To coincide with the release of Oversteps, Autechre are embarking on a tour that culminates with a headline performance at the 2010 Bloc Weekend, taking place at Butlin’s in Minehead, UK on March 12-14. You ought to be there.

And so here it is. Autechre’s FACT mix. Rob and Sean – who we interviewed in-depth in 2008 – have declined to talk about the mix itself, telling us that “it’s just some tunes [they] like”. No tracklist either, so spotters, please do you worst. What we can tell you is that the mix is an unpredictable, kaleidoscopic affair, rooted in sinuous leftfield hip-hop but with bursts of tremulous ambient electronics, techno, hectic breakbeats and, at one particularly memorable point, metal. We needn’t tell you how rare recorded DJ-mixes from Autechre are, so please, don’t sleep on this.

Thursday, 4 February 2010

Peoples Potential (white Label)"A super limited, single sided white label 12" to kick off a brand new year for Floating Points. Witness 'Peoples Potential', an acid-fried-funk bomb, built around a nagging 4/4 house groove, burnt by cascading synth tones and wriggling acid squelch. Brilliant as ever from Sam Shepherd. Be quick with this one...."(Bleep.com)

"February will also see the release of 500 strictly limited 1 sided Peoples Potential 12 inches. Blink and you'll miss them, the last EP sold out if a number of days, and has since been repressed four times, so to stand any chance of bagging one of these your gona have to be on top of your game. They won't be repressed, but they will be followed by the official 2 sided release in March (EG006 = Peoples Potential/Shark Chase." (Eglo Recordings)

"STRICTLY LIMITED WHITELABEL COPIES* Astral gangsta disco business from Floating Points! Dropping ahead of the full release, Eglo records spurt out 500 copies of this one-sided, heavyweight pressing of 'Peoples Potential' in hand stamped whites. Thankfully this is one of the tunes that can happily justify the 1-sided delivery, bearing a magical synth trip of heavenly harmonised contours and simple but irrefutably funked percussion, drawing on the spirits of Stevie, Sun Ra and Four Tet to guarantee floor melting results every time. No messing with this one, blink and you'll miss it. Y'all been warned!" (Boomkat Records)

In their latest tribute, Vinyl Life remakes the Techno Classic "Energy Flash" by Brooklyn's own Joey Beltram with new lyrics by Phaze Future. This was made from the ground-up with no samples. The band-made video, however, is all sampled clips that are jacked from youtube. Take a trip back in time with us to the warehouse days

Wednesday, 3 February 2010

"The third in our weekly series of Besti-mixes is a corker, courtesy of masked London-based producer Sbtrkt, whose hyper-kinetic remixes of Goldie and Peaches, as well as his startlingly original fusions of dubstep, future garage and body-bruising bass have wowed us over the past year, and seen him snapped up by the ever-savvy XL recordings, home to M.I.A. and the White Stripes.

Sbtrkt’s mix sees him throw all this, and more, into the melting pot, exclusively showcasing his stunning new track with fellow bass-meister Sinden as well as his remixes for These New Puritans and 2-step legend MJ Cole, alongside next-level low-end classics from Joy Orbison, 2562 and Zomby. Oh yes..."

"Benji B is back in the building with brand new music from Erykah Badu & Lil Wayne, Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaim, Martyn, Erik L & Illingsworth, Roska, Krystal Klear, Silhouette Brown and Om Unit plus a world exclusive of Fatima’s new track ‘Soul Glo’ produced by Funkineven.Plus we brought you a special guest mix from new London producer Bullion, showcasing some of the sounds that have influenced him..Stateside, it was all about the Grammys which were unfolding as the show went on, so Benji did a little mix to celebrate the nominations for Mos Def, Q Tip, Lalah Hathaway and Robert Glasper.”

Miles Away is the latest in releases to evolve from producer & arranger Madlib's first jazz releases with the group Yesterdays New Quintet.

As Yesterdays New Quintet dissolved in 2007 the collective was expanded under the name “Yesterdays Universe,” out which The Last Electro-Acoustic Space Jazz & Percussion Ensemble became the first to release music with Summer Suite (Stones Throw, 2007).

Miles Away is a jazz fusion album, produced & arranged by Madlib, which has been tweaked and revised for over two years when it was first announced. Look for more of Madlib's Yesterdays Universe releases to follow in 2010.

About the packaging: Madlib's Yesterdays Universe releases are heavily influenced by the culture of 60s-70s jazz vinyl, and we've taken pains to present a true mini-gatefold LP-style package for the CD, with thick cardboard, a “tip-on” gatefold photo, and printed inner sleeve. The double LP is also gatefold. Cover painting by Radek Drutis, design by Jeff Jank.

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